Rotwand differently

The route starts directly at the parking lot at Spitzingsattel. Following the signpost to Schönfeldhütte, the path leads uphill over the meadow in switchbacks into the forest. The path continues gently uphill until it reaches a fork as soon as the forest is left behind. Here we take the upper, left path, which shortly after reaches Schönfeldhütte. In a curve it then goes a little downhill on the right side until at a hut with a water basin on the left, the path leads through the forest to Taubensteinsattel. Once at the top, there is the option to make a short detour to Taubenstein. At the latest on the way back to the saddle, a busy scene unfolds: the Taubenstein cable car brings more and more people up the mountain every minute. However, it becomes quiet again after just a few meters to the Taubensteinhaus. There, a path branches off to the right leading to Kleintiefenalm, shortly before a forest road is reached. At the level of the alm buildings, the further path to Miesingsattel branches off sharply to the left and leads easily further uphill. Once at the saddle, just in front of the wall, an unmarked and unsigned trampling path leads right to the Rotwand. At first somewhat unpleasant through a dwarf pine field, later steeply over a meadow, the narrow path leads quickly uphill. Just below the summit, a small ledge of about 3 meters must be overcome with light climbing (difficulty I), which will cause no difficulties for those experienced under good conditions. Above the ledge, you are already on a summit ridge of the Rotwand, which offers a great resting place and is surprisingly mostly free.

For the descent, we leave the summit area towards Rotwandhaus. After a small ledge, a very wide and well-developed path leads downhill. Shortly before Rotwandhaus, the path to Kümpflscharte branches off to the left. There, take the path to the right towards Waitzinger Alm. The path leads steadily downhill, ignoring the turnoff to Elendsattel, into the Pfanngraben. From there, the constant noise of the stream accompanies us for the next kilometers to the Waitzinger Alm bus stop, which is already in the valley of the Rote Valepp. Walk a few meters to the left on the toll road and cross the Valepp to the right on a bridge. Immediately after the bridge, turn right again towards Albert-Link-Hütte on the former route of the Bockerlbahn. The path leads, sometimes more, sometimes less uphill, past Blecksteinhaus. At the following junction, turn left and continue over a hairpin bend and a cut through to the buildings of Valepp-Alm. There, the Albert-Link-Hütte is already clearly visible on the right and offers a pleasant place to stop. The last section of the path to Spitzingsee continues past the hut over a bridge to the almost unused toll road, which leads left to Spitzingsee. There is a bus stop next to the church on the right side.

The path to the parking lot at Spitzingsattel continues along the right shore of the lake to the northern end of the lake. There, ascend a few meters to the saddle on the right.